bamboo leaves too high in silica?

[Tom2006]

I remember hearing somewhere that bamboo leaves arehigh in silica and great for mulching bamboo. However would this cause issues for other plants? I ask because my P NIgra are getting quite large now and produce lots of old leaves.

[fern Rob]

What do you normally do with the old leaves? I normally just let them fall on the soil

[miketropic]

silica has been added to soil over here in aroid beds..seems to make them stand up to wind a bit better and become a bit more stiff.

[Troppoz]

Well since the major component of soils, especially sandy soils, is silica I doubt the silica in bamboo leaves would be too much of a problem and the benefits of increasing organic matter content in the soil would far outweigh any negatives.

[rufc15lizzie]

I was just going to say that troppoz.
Yes i doubt the silica content is no where near natural levels in the soil anyway.
Silica is so abundent.

[Tom2006]

Good stuff thank you

[Adam D]

I have been growing a lot of bamboo in my back garden for 10 years now and there are plenty of leaves on the soil surface now.

I haven't noticed any problems and grow a variety of plants around the base of them big clumps.

[Yorkshire Kris]

It's biologically surprising that no life is silica based rather than carbon based as chemically they are very similar.

[Conifers]

It's biologically surprising that no life is silica based rather than carbon based as chemically they are very similar.

Not really surprising - two main reasons, first SiO2 is very inert and refractory (melting point over 1600°C) compared to CO2, and second, silicon doesn't form complex compounds with nitrogen, so no protein equivalents.

[Mr List]

is there a silica version of a diamond?

[rufc15lizzie]

What do you mean?

there are silica based gem stones like quartz similar to those of amber and amazonite etc that you pick up.

silica is very similar to diamond in that it is hard and has a very high melting point. They also share the giant covalent bond structures.. But im not aware of a high value gemstone you could prize in jewellery made of silicon.

[Yorkshire Kris]

It's biologically surprising that no life is silica based rather than carbon based as chemically they are very similar.

Not really surprising - two main reasons, first SiO2 is very inert and refractory (melting point over 1600°C) compared to CO2, and second, silicon doesn't form complex compounds with nitrogen, so no protein equivalents.

Just found this which is interesting further reading
http://www.thelivingcosmos.com/TheNatur ... May06.html